Important
Each charter school is assigned a Regional Accountability Coordinator (RAC). It is imperative that your school’s testing coordinator is correctly identified in EDDIE and with NCDPI Accountability division. Please ensure your testing coordinator is in contact with your assigned RAC as important information and training is already taking place for the upcoming school year. You can find your school’s RAC assignment and contact information on the attached workbook (see multiple sheets) and may forward to your testing coordinator as needed. RACs have attempted contact with all testing coordinators listed in EDDIE and OCS has received some reports of non-responsiveness so we are assisting with communication efforts. Thank you for your attention.
2023 NCAPCS Conference Presentation | Office of Charter Schools
OCS presented some updates at the NCAPCS Charter Conference. In case you missed it, or want the presentation, please find it linked HERE.
New Charter Amendment Process
Beginning August 1, 2023, OCS will implement an updated charter application amendment request process via epicenter. Please refer to the "Epicenter Steps for Charter Application Amendment Request 0723" document linked here for instructions. Any material change to the charter application must be approved pursuant to State Board of Education policy CHTR-014, North Carolina Administrative Code 16 NCAC 06g.0510 and 16 NCAC 06g.0511. Questions? Contact Nicky Niewinski, OCS Consultant, at nicole.niewinski@dpi.nc.gov
School Business
The FBS website continues to be updated with information related to School Business and our ongoing operations. Please check the FBS homepage regularly for updates.
Urgent - Retirement Rate Update
Based on communication from the State Retirement Office, you need use 22.94% as the retirement rate for payroll until we have a new state budget. This rate removes the non-recurring portion of last year’s rate that was 24.5%. The 22.94% is the correct rate until the budget is passed per staff at the State Retirement office.
Excerpt: If the 2023-2025 Budget has not become law by the time an employer is required to submit contributions, the employer contribution rates for that submission will be equal to the recurring funds portions of the rates that were in effect on June 30, 2023. These rates would total 22.94% of compensation for general employees, and 27.94% for State LEOs. The components of the rates would be 16.09% for retirement, 0.10% for the Disability Income Plan of North Carolina, 0.13% for active employee death benefits, 6.62% for retiree health benefits, and 5.00% (LEO compensation only) for 401(k) contributions.
Please read the monitor in its entirety.
Retirement Monitor - June 2023 | My NC Retirement
The General Assembly may have a different rate in the final budget which would require retro-active adjustments.
It has also come to our attention that the ORBIT system may have been updated to reflect that new 22.94% rate. Please work with your vendor should you have trouble submitting your orbit files this month.
We apologize for not seeing this earlier and communicating. Thank you to the charter school who brought this to our attention yesterday.
Teach Like a Champion News
Remote Teach Like A Champion Training over the Summer
We’d like to share two upcoming summer TLAC remote series. Though your school would need to pay for them, the fee is $500 per person. Both series are designed for leaders to attend, but it would be an excellent opportunity for some of your stronger teachers who could bring back materials to campus:
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Building Strong Classroom Cultures (here) runs from July 31st-August 4th between 12-1:30pm ET.
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Engaging Academics (here) runs from Aug 7-11th from 12-1:30pm ET. This is similar to the content that you received in January, so it could be a good time to send other leaders or experienced teachers from your school.
Bring the Teach Like a Champion (TLAC) Training to Your School
- If you are interested in exploring ways to bring TLAC back to your school, please check out their website or email TLAC@teachlikeachampion.org with details regarding the training resources that interest you. Below are additional training resources:
- Licensing – purchase the materials and videos from the two-day training you attended to be able to share with your colleagues (this is less expensive if more than one school purchases it, so buddy up 😊)
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Plug and Plays – fully “baked” professional development sessions that focus on one technique
- Direct to Teacher Trainings – if you have extra funds and want to bring a member of the TLAC team to train your staff directly – or want to organize a remote training on zoom!
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Reading Reconsidered –reading curriculum for grades 5-8 (featured in the videos watched from BreOnna Tindall, Sarah Wright, and Emily Badillo)
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Dean of Students Support – they have both a curriculum for students and a training for any school culture leader
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Watch Video of Your Teachers With Us – this is a great opportunity to celebrate bright spots and develop goals for your school!
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Upcoming Trainings – this page updated regularly
- And of course, TLAC Online
- Plus the team often shares videos and their latest learning on the following blog, which is totally free!
If you’re interested in exploring the in-person and other remote workshops offered by TLAC, visit their website here: https://teachlikeachampion.org/training/workshops/
RISE Testimonials
The Center for Safer Schools is seeking testimonials about the RISE Back to School Safety Summit.
If you have attended RISE in the past, please provide a statement on your experiences at the summit. Include the year and location of the summit you attended.
If you have not attended RISE, please provide a statement on what you hope to learn.
With all responses, please include a headshot and/or photo of you at RISE along with your name, title and place of employment. If you are a public school employee, include how long you have been employed and your overall years of experience in education.
Email all responses to Charles.Kinnin@dpi.nc.gov. By submitting photos and testimonials, you are giving the Center for Safer Schools permission to use them on social media and in all promotional materials for the RISE Back to School Safety Summit.
July Healthful Living Standards Revision Draft 1 Surveys & Materials
The NC State Board of Education Standard Course of Study Manual specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) will formally collect feedback from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives, national organizations, and other education agencies on each draft of the revised K-12 Health and Physical Education Standards.
A survey has been released to gather feedback on the first draft of the proposed 2023 K-12 Health and Physical Education Standards. The purpose of this survey is to obtain input from all stakeholders regarding the proposed K-12 Health and Physical Education Standards and to inform any additional revisions, which may include changes, clarifications, additions, deletions, or replacements to the draft standards. The surveys will close on September 18th, 2023.
2023 Stakeholder K-5 Health Education Draft 1 Standard by Standard Survey
2023 Stakeholder 6-9 Health Education Draft 1 Standard by Standard Survey
2023 Stakeholder K-9 Physical Education Draft 1 Standard by Standard Survey
For a copy of the Draft 1 Standards, links to the surveys and other materials and resources, please use the link below and open the Healthful Living tab:
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/academic-standards#HealthfulLivingK-12-4510
Thank you for you participation. Your feedback is extremely valuable to the Healthful Living standards revision process.
Burt Jenkins
Healthful Living Consultant / Athletics Consultant
Division of Academic Standards
NC Department of Public Instruction
(W) 984-236-2816
Burt.Jenkins@dpi.nc.gov
Important MEMOs:
School Risk Management Plan Training
The Center for Safer Schools will host School Risk Management Plan training this summer and fall at the Training Center in Moore County. The remaining sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 9; and Wednesday, Oct. 11.
North Carolina General Statute 115C-105.54 requires that each local school administrative unit shall provide the Division of Emergency Management at the Department of Public Safety (i) schematic diagrams, including digital schematic diagrams, and (ii) emergency response information requested by the Division for the School Risk Management Plan (SRMP).
After completing SRMP training, attendees will be able to:
- Input site-based school data to develop a comprehensive schematic diagram and plans into the SRMP portal.
- Both identify and discuss vulnerabilities and training gaps in their individual plans.
- At least once annually initiate a full schoolwide tabletop exercise on the procedures documented in the SRMP portal.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop, as the sessions will review their individual school plans in the SRMP portal. They will receive technical guidance to ensure their plans meet the necessary state requirements.
All sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at 3600 Samarcand Road in Jackson Springs. Register at the following links: June 14, Aug. 9, Oct. 11.
School Risk Management Plan training also will be held at the July 31-Aug. 2 RISE Back to School Safety Summit in Gaston County. Visit the official RISE webpage for information and registration links.
If you have questions about School Risk Management Plan training, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.
RISE Registration is Open
Based on the success of last year’s RISE Back to School Safety Summit in Greensboro, the Center for Safer Schools is happy to announce that registration for RISE 2023 is now open. This year’s RISE – the CFSS’ signature event – will be held July 31-Aug. 2 at the Gastonia Conference Center. Registration is free.
RISE training focuses on the resiliency, information, support and empowerment needed when supporting children and adolescents in schools and communities. This training offers a range of sessions covering the issues of bullying, suicide, opioid and substance use, critical incidents and other vital information about trauma and victimization among children and adolescents, and how these various dynamics impact school climate and school safety.
There will be Work Tracks for school personnel, school resource officers and law enforcement. Visit the CFSS’ RISE webpage for more information and links for registration and discounted hotel rates: RISE 2023 | NC DPI.
Space is limited, so register soon to reserve your spot. If you have questions, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.
Applicant Tracking and Onboarding Systems Implementation Opportunities for Charter Schools
DPI is happy to announce we are ready to begin implementations once again for Applicant Tracking and Onboarding systems for PSUs through our Office of Systems Modernization. If you took advantage of this opportunity last year and implemented Applicant Tracking, you may want to implement Onboarding this year. The Onboarding system integrates with Applicant Tracking and allows you to send your newly hired candidate their onboarding or new hire ‘paperwork’ electronically using the Onboarding system. This frees up time in your office of someone having to sit with each new hire and have them complete forms in the office and then hand deliver them to the appropriate department or staff person. The Onboarding system not only allows you to create your forms in an electronic format, but also allows for the creation of workflows so that as forms are returned they are distributed through the designated workflow and delivered to the assigned staff.
If you haven’t taken advantage of Applicant Tracking yet, you may want to do so now before you are in the thick of hiring season for the 2023-2024 school year. This system comes to you setup with the basics of what you need, but allows you to setup your Candidate Portal individually for you school and allows for each PSU to review the items that have been setup in the base system and make changes to them to suit your needs. This system is integrated with the TeachNC SchoolSpring statewide job board for more visibility for your job postings to bring you more applicants. The training is a one-day virtual training session, materials and your session will be recorded so you can continue to use the recording as you work through your review and setup on your own.
Onboarding training is the same with a one-day virtual training, materials and recorded session and then you continue to work on your own.
Both of these systems are offered to you at no cost to your school.
If you are interested in implementing either of these systems, please email Wendy Hinson at wendy.hinson@dpi.nc.gov with the following information:
· Name of your school
· Assigned LEA #
· Which system you wish to implement (you can choose both) – Applicant Tracking or Onboarding
· Name of Primary Contact
· Email of Primary Contact
We are hoping to start our first training sessions in late March/early April so please get your information turned in as soon as possible. If your school has already contacted Wendy, there is no need to email again unless you have additional questions. Thank you!
Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
North Carolina House Bill 8, titled “Computer Science Graduation Requirement,” aims to make computer science education a requirement for high school graduation and make sure that each middle school offers a computer science class. A grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will give the Friday Institute the ability to expand its professional learning programs to offer Code.org’s professional learning free to North Carolina educators. These trainings are intensive, highly supportive programs designed to prepare educators who have not necessarily taught or studied computer science previously. Educators across the state can now register at a training site nearest them to complete the computer science professional development that best suits their instructional needs.
In addition to the training, lodging, and travel being covered by the grant, teachers who complete the five-day summer professional development training, plus three out of four quarterly workshops to be held on Saturdays throughout the 2023-24 school year, will be eligible to receive a $1,000 stipend.
These programs support educators with diverse teaching backgrounds as they prepare to teach any of the following courses or plan to integrate CS practices into their existing curriculum and instruction:
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Computer Science Discoveries: Designed for educators interested in introducing CS to students in grades 6-10.
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AP Computer Science Principles: Designed for educators interested in helping students in grades 9-12 to explore CS connections to the real world.
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AP Computer Science A: Designed for educators interested in teaching College Board’s AP Computer Science A course to students in grades 9-12.
Learn more about the trainings this summer by visiting our website or register for the workshops at Code.org
The Office of Early Learning provides weekly updates on resources that OCS believes can be very helpful to Charter Schools. You can subscribe directly!
HR Webinar Information - Licensure requirements, resources, and more for Charter School leaders
Once a month, Dr. Tom Tomberlin and his team provide State Board of Education and legislative updates to the human resources contacts in Public School Units (PSUs) across the state.
All sessions are 10:30-11:30AM
August 7 (Monday)
September 8
October 6
November 3
December 8
Other Resources from DPI and beyond
Charter School Job Postings
If you have current teaching/leadership positions open and wish to share them in this newsletter, reach out to Joseph.Letterio@dpi.nc.gov and provide a link to the posting/s.
Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?
OCS Main Number: (984) 236-2700 / Email: ocs@dpi.nc.gov
Please forward
School leaders, we encourage you to forward this newsletter on to your staff so they can subscribe to DPI bulletins directly through this link. They will enter their email and then it will bring them to another page where they can select “Charter School Comms Contacts” and any other public listserv to sign up for.
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